Falling For You (literally)
by LilyRaeK
Summary: Fred steals Hermione's seat on the train back to Hogwarts but her payback isn't quite what he imagined...


**I'm using a list of '100 Ways to Say I Love You' as a prompt for a bunch of fanfictions. Some will be used together but if anyone wants to use the list or read what may be coming up, I'll put the list in my bio on my profile. Just a warning, they will all be from different fandoms!**

 **8\. "Take my seat"**

Falling for you…literally

Trains back to Hogwarts were always a busy affair. The Weasleys had long ago made a pact that they would all sit together on the trains to and from Hogwarts every year since Ginny had started because after all the Weasleys were about nothing if it wasn't for family.

The carriage was full. Mostly gingers, one brunette and one certain boy with raven black hair. Everyone spilled out of the carriage and into the corridor every time the Lady with the Trolley passed by to collect their body weight in Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts.

As the trolley passed for the third time, the Weasleys, Granger and Potter made their way back to their seats and Hermione was shocked to find that Fred, who had been sitting on the floor for the majority of the journey, had taken hers.

"By all means, Fred, take my seat. It's not like I was sitting there or anything," she grumbled under her breath when she caught him.

"No seat, Granger?" he asked, a cheeky grin gracing his face.

"No, Fred. It's funny you see, I did have one but some git decided to steal it while I went to buy him a Pumpkin Pasty," she returned the grin, holding out a pasty by means of a bribe.

"No chance, Granger. Bribe me all you want but I'll just steal your pasty and take your seat."

She huffed, blowing a rogue curl that had fallen into her eyes. Shifting uncomfortably, she lingered as to where to sit. Sitting on the seat nearest the window was the perfect place to lean and read or join in conversation as she pleased. Sitting on the floor would put her at a disadvantage as she would be at a lower height than the conversation that was currently progressing and she didn't want to feel left out.

"You could always sit on my lap, if you fancied," Fred dropped cheekily, winking at her. Something in Hermione flared but she marked it down to the heat of many bodies in one carriage.

"Fred Weasley, I do not want to sit on your lap so I suggest you get out of my seat or I'll take your wand and stick it whe—Oh!" Hermione never had the chance to finish her sentence as the train jolted and she ended up falling into Fred's lap just as he'd suggested.

"Whoa, Hermione. Bit forward, aren't we?" Fred chuckled quietly.

"Oh, shut your face, Weasley." She grumbled hoisting herself up so that she wasn't lying down across him anymore and brushing her hair out of her eyes. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her waist before quickly shifting it in case she noticed. She had and she felt herself blush despite her knowing that it was in her best interests to keep a neutral if not irritated expression. She glanced up at Fred and caught his eye. He shot her a grin and a wink.

Just then, Neville burst in. "Guys! You'll never guess what Goyle's got stuck down his trousers!"

"What?!" Many voices replied from around the carriage.

"Trevor!"

There were squeals of excitement and some very loud chuckles before the majority of the carriage ran out following Neville. Fred carried on gazing at Hermione just as she gazed at him. Not even Goyle's misfortune had managed to pull Fred away from the bookish beauty that he now noticed about Hermione. It was odd, really. Fred had never seen Hermione like this before. She wasn't exactly hard to look at and Fred had noticed that, sure, but for him to be feeling what he was now (sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, at a loss for words) was unusual for womaniser, Fred Weasley. If he was honest, the thoughts scared him slightly. He had never had a serious relationship, only flings that he never saw lasting for longer than a few weeks at most but with Hermione, he could seriously see it going somewhere. Not that he'd ever tell her that, of course.

He decided to steer the situation into a place he knew how to handle. "Not fancying seeing Goyle make a git of himself, Granger?"

She looked startled as if she'd been in deep thought but she answered nonetheless. "Pain for comedy really isn't my thing, Fred," she replied making an attempt to get up from his lap. He saw this and tightened his arms around her holding her in place. She looked up at him with question in her eyes but their moment was broken by the cabin's other occupants arriving once more. She leapt up from Fred's lap giving him no time to try to keep her there.

Moving herself, she watched Ginny sit near the door and positioned herself at her feet. As Ginny picked up her hair and started to plait and tame it, Hermione started to ponder what had actually just happened with Fred. Why had he tried to make her stay like that?

In the Great Hall later, Dumbledore had given his speech about the usual safety and admin of the castle plus a few odd words, the new first years had been sorted and now the meal was in full swing. Hermione was sat in between Fred and Harry. Harry was just recounting another cruel trick as pulled on him by Dudley and his friends, when Hermione happened to glance over at Fred catching his eye. The smile Fred gave her may as well have been made of LED lights because it was so bright that Hermione felt herself smiling in return.

They carried on like that for the rest of the evening. Fred would glance at Hermione or the other way around and they would both smile at each other and Ginny was no expert but it didn't take one to tell that these two had something going on or if not already, they were about to.

Hermione made her way down into the common room after lights out. She always felt a bit out of place her first night back at Hogwarts. Sure, it was her second home and in the past five years she'd spent more time in her four poster bed than she had in her tiny single back home but something always felt wrong not knowing her parents were right down the hall the way they had been for the past two months.

Hermione settled herself into the corner of the large sofa and gazed into the fire letting her brain sort out her thoughts slowly. She always had a lot to think about in her first few days. She obviously had to unpack and she still had another full day before classes started so she could have chance to do that, visit Madam Pince in the library and discuss the books she had read that summer and she needed to write a letter to her parents, letting them know that she had arrived safely as always and that she was unpacked and what her timetable was like for the next school year. Despite her parents being muggles, they liked to have a basic understanding of what was going on in her other life as otherwise it just made them feel distanced from their daughter. Hermione tried to keep them as up to date as possible (which wasn't always easy) but what with that and the work load, it was sometimes hard to juggle it all.

She was really just thinking this to make her brain busy because she knew that if she left her brain rest, it would start trying to analyse what happened on the train with Fred. Just then, she heard footsteps coming down from the dormitories. She turned to see a tuft of Weasley hair walking down from the boys' dorms. She grinned as she spotted Fred around the corner and despite her warm acknowledgement, Fred looked startled to see someone in the common room.

"Good evening, Hermione. Couldn't sleep?" he murmured softly.

"No, you neither, I suppose?" she queried, curling her legs up to make room for him next to her.

"No, my brain wouldn't settle down for the night so I thought I'd come to sort all my thoughts in the comfort of the fire." Fred replied softly, coming to sit next to her on the sofa and tugging on her ankle for her to lay her legs across his lap.

"What's troubling you, Granger?" he asked, nudging her foot.

"Quite the same really. I had a very confusing encounter earlier."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-hmm, in fact, you caused it." She muttered.

"Really? And why have I caused you so much turmoil, Hermione?" he questioned, a perplexed look crossing his face briefly.

"I'm going to be honest, Fred," she paused and he nodded at her to go on, "On the train."

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up." And then he sat silent.

"Well?" she prompted testily. It was killing her trying to figure out what was going on in the brain of the infamous prankster.

Fred took a deep breath before saying, "I have noticed you in a different light over the past few weeks. Not just as my younger brother's best friend but as a beautifully intellectual girl that I have had more than one dream about. Hermione, I can't stop thinking about you and I know you probably don't think about me in that way but today was bitter taste of what I've been dreaming about."

He sighed, "Sorry if it threw you," he added as he moved her legs gently from his lap and stood making his way to the stairs again thinking that maybe clearing his head in front of the fire wasn't such a good idea.

"Fred, wait!" Hermione yell-whispered. She grabbed onto his arm, leapt up from the sofa and pulled his head down towards hers to kiss him. It wasn't a rough kiss. Just a soft peck but it was enough to show her feelings clearly to him. She pulled back and he grinned at her, not in his usual prankster smirk but a genuine smile.

"I've kinda been thinking about you, too." She blushed deeply but she hoped it wasn't visible in the dimming firelight.

Fred slide his hands from her shoulders down to her hands where he took them and led her back to the sofa. He sat, pulling her with him, and as she curled into his side, she sighed in bliss as she finally felt her brain quieten down slightly.

Ron slumped down the stairs the following morning, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning widely. As he reached the bottom, he realised just how early he was but he knew he needed to get in some Quidditch practice before trials started again this September.

Padding into the common room to grab his gloves from the Quidditch supplies cupboard, he spotted a certain ginger and a certain brunette curled together on the sofa. Realising they must have been there the majority of the night, he shot sparks into the fire to keep it from dwindling and grabbed the lion throw from the pile of blankets in the corner. He wrapped it around them and smiled.

A selfish thought flit past his eyes, one of envy that someone would get more attention from the bookworm than him, but it was soon replaced by one of happiness for the pair. He knew they'd be good for each other and they were.


End file.
